on the back of
idiom
1
: because of or on the strength of (something)
Profits have increased on the back of improved international sales.
2
disapproving
: by using the efforts of (other people)
The company has achieved record profits on the back of cheap labor.
Examples of on the back of in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Her husband forced their son to take cigarettes and burn her on the back of her neck.
—
Meredith Blake, Los Angeles Times, 28 May 2024
Trump, at the defense table, appears fully engaged, with one arm propped on the back of his chair, looking directly at Blanche's back.
—Aaron Katersky, ABC News, 28 May 2024
The annual interagency pass, which costs $80 and covers the entrance fees for more than 2,000 federal recreation sites (of which roughly 100 do not charge for admission year-round), is now marked by a single signature line on the back of the card.
—Lauren Matison, San Diego Union-Tribune, 26 May 2024
The grocer and counter clerks would take down orders in pencil on the back of the sacks, grind coffee beans, weigh out sugar and flour, and so on.
—Faron Levesque, Smithsonian Magazine, 23 May 2024
See all Example Sentences for on the back of 
Meredith Blake, Los Angeles Times, 28 May 2024
Trump, at the defense table, appears fully engaged, with one arm propped on the back of his chair, looking directly at Blanche's back.
—Aaron Katersky, ABC News, 28 May 2024
The annual interagency pass, which costs $80 and covers the entrance fees for more than 2,000 federal recreation sites (of which roughly 100 do not charge for admission year-round), is now marked by a single signature line on the back of the card.
—Lauren Matison, San Diego Union-Tribune, 26 May 2024
The grocer and counter clerks would take down orders in pencil on the back of the sacks, grind coffee beans, weigh out sugar and flour, and so on.
—Faron Levesque, Smithsonian Magazine, 23 May 2024
See all Example Sentences for on the back of
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'on the back of.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“On the back of.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/on%20the%20back%20of. Accessed 5 Jun. 2024.
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